Meet Again
by AstridWayne
Summary: When Karin And Toshiro meet again after the defeat of Aizen
1. Chapter 1

It has been a year since I had met him. A year since we had been friends. I wish he was here. We could really use him for soccer again. This coming match is a tough one. I know that it is highly unlikely that he would come back here to visit. Let alone play soccer with us. Oh damn! Why am I thinking of him again?

"Karin-chan, Are you alright? You look troubled." My younger twin Yuzu asked.

"Oh nothing. Just thinking of my upcoming match." I answered.

Yuzu never failed to read my feelings. I have to be more careful with my expressions. I cannot have her worried. She is already worried enough of onii-chan.

Onii-chan, Kirosaki Ichigo. My older brother. Once a shinigami but lost his powers after the long battle against Aizen. Although he try to hide it, both of us are fully aware of how lost he is without his powers. He used to at least listen to our family squabbles and react to situations but now he just stares into space most of the time.

"Karin-chan, its almost 8am. Aren't you supposed to meet your friends for training? You had better get going before you're late" Yuzu reminded me.

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks Yuzu. See you later." I replied before heading towards the door.

It seemed like a very promising Wednesday. It was a good day to train. The sun was shining bright. Thankfully it would not be too hot for us to train. The clouds were plentiful scattered all over the sky. So white. Almost silver. Just like a certain type of hair. Damn it. I should start focusing on training and strategies for the match but here I am thinking of him again.

I started running towards the training field. Nothing better than a good run to keep your mind off things.

The distance from where I am to the training field is about 1km so its about 10 mins jog but I think I can cut 2 mins off of that timing. Alright. Thats my goal then. Good warm up for me before training.

This feels great. The wind blowing through my hair. The soft rays of the sun bouncing off windows creating small rainbows in my path. I feel alive when I run. The different blurred colours of my surroundings flashing before my eyes. Vivid green, bright blue, a tinge of red and dazzling white.

Wait what? I stopped so abruptly that I almost fell onto the hard pavement but the combination of colours looked oodly familiar. Looking back I realised why.

There he was. Standing on the pavement looking straight at me. Hair as white as snow. His turquoise eyes as bright as day. Face scowling as usual as though something bothers him. He was wearing a red t-shirt under his bright blue jacket paired with dark blue jeans and a pair of black sneakers.


	2. Chapter 2: The conversation

I stood rooted to the ground as he walked slowly towards me.

"Good morning." He greeted me.

"Toshiro, Good morning. What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm on holiday. I'm here to visit Haru baa-san. It's been long since I last visited her. I just wanted to make sure that she is alright."

"Oh. Are you going there now?"

"Yes I am."

"Cool. I'll go with you. I have not been visiting her either. I was quite busy preparing for my examinations. My last paper was yesterday so I am free today."

"Well it can't be helped. Lets go."

"Alright. I'll just make a quick phone call. I scheduled training today. The guys can train without me for awhile."

We started walking as I called one of my teammates.

"You guys have a match coming up?" Toshiro asked as I ended the phone call.

"Yeah. This Saturday. Hey, are you staying till then? We could use your skills again."

"We'll see. I can't exactly be here very long. I have a lot of work to do."

"Haha... Oh yeah. You're a captain aren't you? I still can't believe it. You're still just a kid to me."

"I AM NOT A KID!"

"Sorry. Sorry. Always touchy. Anyway, how are the repair works going on in Seiteitei?"

"It would have been faster."

Then he started grumbling. I could not make out much of the words but it sounded like Matsumoto, Abarai, Sake and goofing off.

"Is that why you weren't able to visit earlier? Because of people goofing off?" I pressed on. He looked extra annoyed when I brought this up. Was it even possible for his face to scowl even more?

"My lieutenant, Matsumoto have been goofing off for drinks with some of her friends more often nowadays and wasn't much of a help. Not only that. Squad 11 have started training and since their training grounds were destroyed... They made the damage worse."

"Ah I see. Have you met Rukia lately? How is she?"

"Rukia." He looked up to the sky. He looked worried.

"How is she?" I asked again when he kept quiet.

"She has been quite a mess. It took her at least a few weeks before she pulled herself back together again. She tried to be strong and not let people know how she feels. We know better though. It's very obvious that she is hurting with the separation."

"I guess it can't be helped. The last time she separated from Onii-chan was her choice but now She had no choice. Even though Onii-chan puts up a strong front, we know that he's hurting inside. We can't speak her name openly. If we do he will leave the house and take a long walk."

"That bad huh?"

"Yeah."

"We're here"

We reached a brown door embedded onto the stone hedge that surrounds Grandma Haru's house. The wall looked really unkempt with creepers growing all over its edge. We knocked on the door.

"Haru baa-san!" I called out her name when we received no answer.

"There's no one inside." Toshiro told me.

"How do you know?"

"I can't feel her reiatsu."

"Oh should we come back later?"

"I'm going to wait for her here."

"Alright then. I'll stay too."

"She might take long. I believe she's gone to the market. You should go ahead and train and come back later."

"Then you should come along for training too. We could use your help."

"You know well enough that I don't need training."

"Well alright. Here this is my number. Call me when Haru baa-san reaches home. I'll come straight away."

I gave him my number and hurried off to the training field. Lucky for me the training field is near Haru baa-san's house. It would not take long to reach her house when Toshiro called.


	3. Chapter 3: Thoughts part 1

Hey guys… Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate all of them. Sorry for the late update. I have been busy these past few days. I wanted to rush this chapter but I decided to spend more time on it. Thanks a lot for waiting... =)

Toshiro leaned back against the wall next to Haru baa-san's door. Balancing his weight on his right foot while his left propped on the wall behind him. He folded his arms as he watched Karin ran down the hill towards the training field. He scowled deep in thought scrunching his eyes together.

This might just be a big mistake. He was given strict orders not to have any contact with any of the Kurosaki family. This is to help reduce the pain it might cause Ichigo with the departure of his powers. Soul Society felt in debt to Ichigo for saving their lives and the lives of those who lived within its compounds. The Head Captain made the decision for Seireitei to cease contact with the Kurosaki Family in an attempt to reduce the suffering it might cause any members of the Kurosaki family.

Disregarding the Head's orders was going against his own principles but there is something about her that just makes him want to stay close. He could have easily gone out of sight when he saw her running towards him. Why didn't he run away? What force was it that held him in place and refused to let him go?

She had not changed much from the last time he had met her. She still dons t-shirts and shorts but her hair is longer than before. It still looked as shiny as he last saw it. He remembered he liked the way the sulight made her hair shine when he watched her train with her friends months back when he helped her with her soccer match against those rude boys.

Why did he help her with soccer that time? Was it because he liked the sport? Or was it because he felt rage when her opponents hurt her? Up till this day he kept wondering why. What was it that compelled him to assist her in such a way?

He watched her reach her friends and brought the training in order. She stood with her back towards him as she gathered her friends and split them up to two groups. To the group on her left she pointed to the goalpost. To the other group she pointed to the cones laid down in a straight line in front of her. She clapped her hand once and the team split up to do their own drills. The group at the goalpost started practicing their shots at goal while the group at the cones started dribbling in and out of the line of cones. She watched her team practice for awhile. Then she turned her body around and looked up at me. She smiled and waved once at me before running off towards the goalpost to practice her shots.

She was as energetic as he remembered. Giving her all even if it was just a training session. It was nice to see an energetic woman for once. The women at Seireitei do not even have half her energy and spirit. If they do have it, it don't last long. Matsumoto is a fine example. She was always lazing around for sake with Abarai and the others. Even Kuchiki Rukia who was always energetic lost to her. Although he liked girls who are naturally an introvert, looking at Karin's zest and exuberance made him feel very refreshed and alive.

What have he gotten himself into? He sighed. He looked up to the sky and tried to distract himself with the shapes of the clouds. Looking for shapes that weren't really there. Refusing to succumb to the urge to look at her train with her team. It took all of his self-control to maintain his concentration on the cloudy blue sky. He watched a cluster of clouds float by and wondered if it was wise to engage that morning and decided that whatever the consequence would be, he would face it willingly just for these few hours he could spend together with the girl who amaze him to no end.

Slowly he lost his battle and watched in awe at her brilliance in the sport and his gaze never left her while he waited for Haru baa-san's arrival.

Three hours soon passed. Karin finally ended her training for the day and sent everyone home to recuperate before another training session the day after next. Haru baa-san still has not returned. The shadows of neighbouring trees have grown shorter and were fast disappearing under its owner. It was not Haru baa-san's norm to return so late into the afternoon from grocery shopping in the early morning. Concern clawed his mind as he wondered what had happened to the old lady. He scanned the area and saw something that slipped his sight when he stood and whiled the time away by watching Karin.

The bushes that lay at the foot of the wall that surrounds Haru baa-san's house was unruly and unkempt. That was unusual. Haru baa-san loved those bushes. Once saying that the flowers that bloomed from those bushes complemented her home and made her home more welcoming to look at from the outside. She said that she liked the picture those bushes made when framed together with her ancient home.

Sensing something wrong, Toshiro scanned Karakura Town for any sign of Haru baa-san's reiatsu. A new wave of panic engulfed him.


	4. Chapter 4: Thoughts part 2

Hey guys. Do forgive me for the very very long break between this chapter and the last. I just finished my exams and was busy going for holidays and looking for work. No luck yet though. Pray for me… On top of that, my mother have been working me like a mule since I am School-less till this coming April. You have no idea how many chores I had to do and will need to do in the time to come. So please bear with me if I take long to update but I definitely will. No fret there. So I shall not make you guys wait any longer. Here goes the next chapter. =)

Thoughts Part 2

Karin ran down the hill towards the training field. Wind blowing furiously through her hair. Her thoughts were only of one particular person.

He's here! He. Is. Here! Was she dreaming? Is this real? Karin pinched the back of her left hand. It hurt. This must be real but why does It feel too good to be true. Did she imagine the pain? Should she turn back around to check if he is still there leaning against the wall? No. She should not. What if she turned back and found him gone and realised that she just imagined meeting him. The disappointment would be too great for her to handle. No. No turning back to look.

At least not yet. Maybe later.

Excitement filled her as she ran faster down the hill. She wanted to be quick. The faster she got to her friends, the faster she could train and the faster she could return to the silver-haired boy. She smiled at the thought of hanging out with him and Haru baa-san. It would be just like old time before Ichigo lost his powers and before the law from the Head Captain to cease all relationships and communication between the spirit world and the Kurosaki family. Those times were the best times of her life by far. Having an unchildish friend to hang out with, eating good food cooked by one of the coolest grandmother in the whole of Karakura Town.

Toshiro intrigued her like no other boy had ever done before. He was mysterious and very reserved. She was amazed at what little information she could get out of him. Every time she thought she knew all there is to know about the boy, something new will always surface. Seriously, there seemed to be no end to the mysteries of this boy and surprisingly, she was keen to learn more about him. She wants to know all there is to know and all that could be known about him. She wants to understand him deeper and get to know him better.

She felt funny. Of all the boys that she knew, this particular one interests her to no end. He made her curious. Her normal indifference behavior to anyone in particular seemed to disappear the moment she set her eyes on the boy. This feeling is extremely strange. It made her tingle in excitement. Amazingly, she actually loved this feeling.

Karin continued sprinting to the training field. Pushing herself harder to reach her friends faster. She could not wait to get back to Toshiro. She had many things she wanted to talk about with him. The chat that they had earlier was insufficient and she longed to have a longer conversation with him. She wanted to spend more time with the boy. She may never see him again after this and that made her unhappy.

As soon as she reached the training field, she ushered her friends around her. Purposely standing with her back towards the area where she knew Toshiro would be standing. She did not want to be distracted by looking at him and wondering what he was doing or if he was looking at her. She did not want her friends to see her distracted. Many troublesome questions would arise and she had no idea how to handle that situation. Though she is a person who handles many things splendidly, this is something new to her and she would rather not face it right now when she is not ready. She liked to be prepared and when things come unexpectedly, she may falter but thanks to her wit and quick thinking she managed to handle many unexpected situations in a calm and mature way but not today. She was too distracted to think quickly on her feet.

She split her friends up into two groups and set them to work. Half of them worked on their shots at goal while the other half worked on their dribbling. God knows how much help these people need in soccer and she would make sure that they improve as much as possible in this short time and are able to do well in their upcoming match. After explaining what they had to do and how many sets they have to complete for each drill she sent them off to do their respective drills. She will give them thirty minutes to complete their drills before getting them to swap.

She watched from where she was as her team worked hard to perfect their skills. Some of them were still awkward at dribbling the ball but she knew with much practice, they would improve and might even be better at dribbling the ball than she was. She could see some potential in some of her friends and believed that if the trained hard, they could even surpass Toshiro in a few years.

She could still remember the first time she saw him dribble. How it made her head light with delight to see how good he was in the sport. It was beautiful the way he controlled the ball with his legs and the way he looked so calm and controlled as though this sort of thing was something he could do in his sleep. He seemed so sure of himself handling the soccer ball that he actually looked like a professional soccer player. She can never forget that moment when she saw him dribble as she constantly replayed it in her mind over and over again. Trying her best to look out for tips on how to dribble the soccer ball better but found none, as she was always distracted by the way he looked.

She caught herself smiling and shook her head to clear those thoughts away. It was distracting her from the task at hand. She decided to watch the other half of her team who were shooting balls at the goalpost. The strikers were quite good in finding the weakness of their goalkeeper. Many of them managed to score against him. She wondered if Toshiro could step in and give the keeper some pointers. She was sure he would be great at stopping goals too. Oh god. Why was she thinking of him again? She should get herself occupied and do something. Otherwise she would be daydreaming the whole training away.

Maybe she should see if he was still there. He might not be looking at her anyway and she was absolutely sure that it was too far away for him to see her clearly. Convinced, she turned around to look in the direction of Haru baa-san's house. What she saw made her heart skip a beat.

He was leaning against the wall, arms folded, looking at her with those intense green eyes. It was nearer than she thought it would be she could actually his ruffled messy hair blowing in the wind. He looked extremely cool in that position and it made her heart falter and her mind erased of all thoughts.

Quickly she smiled and waved at him before she painfully tore her gaze away from the silver haired boy and started running towards the goalpost. She didn't want to be caught staring at him any longer than what was necessary. Her sole intention was only to check if he was still there. Not be amazed by him.

She started to do her drills. Doing something managed to keep her mind occupied. Her thoughts never strayed towards the boy and she was lost in training for the next two and a half hours. Before she knew it, the time has come for her to end the training and send her team off to recuperate before the next training the day after next.

She quickly packed her things and started to walk towards the girls' washroom near the training field to have a quick shower before going back to Toshiro. She turned her head to look at him just in time to see the look of terror on his face.

That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed my drabbles. On another note, I might take two to three weeks to put up the next chapter, as I'll be going for another trip overseas. So, I'm sorry to make you wait for the next chapter. Hope you guys will look forward to reading the next chapter. =)


	5. Chapter 5: The Rush

**Hey guys. I'm back with the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate it lots. Special thanks to for that idea. Still thinking of how to put it in or whether I should put it in, but for now, Ichigo will not make an appearance. Maybe in the next few chapters. We'll see how that goes. I didn't plan when I write. I just do it on a whim and play by ear so if I feel it fits, I'll put it in. =) Do enjoy this next chapter and review. I am open to suggestions so do hit me with some if you have any outstanding ideas that you feel you must see in this story. See ya around! =)**

Scanning for Haru baa-san's reiatsu made him discover something shocking. Toshiro felt her strong reiatsu at a distance of an approximately fifteen minute's sprint away from where he stood in the direction of a local park. Her reiatsu was flaring wildly and it could only mean one thing. She was being attacked. Sure enough he felt the huge presence of a hollow near her.

Without wasting time he shed his gigai and started to shunpo towards the local park. In his mind he prayed he could reach Haru baa-san in time to save her.

Karin's phone was quickly out of her bag as she watched the silver haired boy run down the hill from where he had waited for Haru baa-san. Without a thought she ran towards the boy. Her fingers furiously scrolling through her phonebook for Toshiro's cellphone number. It was only when she reached the end of her contact list that she realised that she did not have Toshiro's number. Cursing furiously she increased her speed in an attempt to catch up to Toshiro. Soon enough she lost sight of him as he turned a corner twenty yards ahead of her.

Toshiro turned a corner vaguely noticing Karin's reiatsu tailing him from the back. Knowing that she couldn't possibly keep up with him, he took to the air and ran well above the cluster of houses now below his feet. Karin will now be able to follow him and he didn't need to slow down. He wouldn't normally do this but running in the air has its benefits. He didn't have to weave in and out through the many houses to reach the park. He can now just run straight and reach there in no time. On top of that, thinking of how Karin would react if he left her behind would be troublesome to face and he would rather spend the time chatting with her than have her angry at him.

_"Honestly, I'm turning soft. I would never have done this for anyone else. Hold on for a bit longer Haru baa-san. I'm coming for you." _Toshiro thought to himself.

Karin felt thankful as she saw Toshiro rising from the ground and running up in the air. Knowing full well that he only did that for her sight of seeing someone running in the air no longer shocks her. She is now very accustomed to it. Having seen it many times ever since the day she found out that Ichi-nii was a Shinigami it felt normal seeing people running in the air high above the neighborhood.

_"I have to remember to thank him later for being so thoughtful."_ Karin thought to herself.

It was tougher for her to keep up with him even though he made himself noticeably visible for her to trail after. Unfortunately for her, she had to face the difficulties of having to weave through houses and people and the pain of waiting for the traffic lights to turn green indicating that she could cross busy roads. Still she pressed on and worked her way tirelessly towards Toshiro and Haru baa-san.

Toshiro reached the park and quickly located Haru baa-san cowering underneath a park bench. The hollow in question stood in front of her. It was too close for comfort.

The hollow was different than other hollows. It was the usual black but what truly stood out about this hollow was its mask. Its mask was extremely colourful, it looked almost mesmerizing. The colours of the rainbow danced across its mask. What stood out about it was that part of its mask was chipped. The only flaw to what would be a beautiful and captivating mask.

The hollow was huge. Towering about sixteen feet high. It was at least three metres wide. It had long big arms and strong muscular legs. It looked almost human except for the long tail that extends from its behind.

The hollow's back was facing Toshiro. This would be a good chance to strike him unawares and finish it quickly. Without a second thought, Toshiro drew his sword and leaped towards the hollow. His sword up high and ready to swing down on the hollow and put it to its death. When the hollow was within reach, he swung his sword down hard and powerful.

"Haha. Missed me."

Those were the last words he heard before he felt a slash across his back. He screamed and doubled over in pain.

"TOSHIRO!" He heard a voice screamed his name in horror. The voice of a frail, old lady.

He fell to his knees. His sword grew heavy in his hands. His vision blurred. An excruciating pain exploded from his back.

Vaguely he heard a deep voice laughing and a soft sobbing cries of an old lady.

_"Come on Toshiro. Get up. This is not the worst you've been through!"_ He thought angrily to himself.

"TOSHIRO!" The old voice screamed again. This time a loud thud was heard soon after the old lady screamed his name.

"Quiet woman!" A deep rumbling voice shouted followed by a loud thump. Toshiro could faintly hear Haru baa-san huff in pain.

With those harsh words, his vision cleared and his strength returned. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and numbed the pain. He stood up and faced his enemy. His resolve strengthened. He would save Haru baa-san no matter what happened to him.

He looked towards the bench to see Haru baa-san doubled up in pain. Anger boiled through his veins when he saw the pain reflected on Haru baa-san's face.

"Greetings Taichou-san! How nice of ya to join us." The hollow's deep, rumbling voice laced with malice.

Karin cursed in frustration at the number of traffic lights she needed to cross. Why is it that every time she was in a rush, the traffic light-man would turn red and force her to wait? And why in the world did things have to happen during lunchtime when people are all out and about for lunch? There seemed to be more cars than usual and waiting for the red man to turn green is making her feel really hot and frustrated.

She saw Toshiro descent into the cluster of trees fifty yards in front of her. She started to sprint two seconds before the green man came on and worked her way tirelessly through the sea of humans towards the park where she wondered the cause of Toshiro's strange reaction.

Had something happened to Haru baa-san? Was it a hollow? Or worse... Could it be the arrancar he heard Ichi-nii talked about before. Whatever it is, having any of those things happen would be something to panic about. Suspense and curiosity burned through her veins. She hated waiting and wondering. What in the world was happening that had Toshiro's knickers in a knot?

Please let me reach there quickly. I want to help as much as I can. Fear laced through her thoughts as she prayed she reached where Toshiro was before anything drastic happened.

"What do you want?" Toshiro asked the hollow.

The hollow looked at Toshiro with big beady eyes. His eyes, visible behind his mask, showed blood red irises.

"Now don't ya think that's' a bit rude? I offered ya a greeting. The least ya could do was to great me back. What bad manners ya have Taichou-san? Shame on ya. I should teach ya about manners, I should." The hollow said playfully.

"Don't mess with me hollow. What do you want from us?"

"Now ya see. Thats a mistake there. I ain't no normal hollow. I hear ya've heard of us before. Ya fought creatures like me when ya were protecting this dear city. Don't ya remember our name Taicho-san? Or have that part of yer memory been tempered with till ya forgot about us? It wasn't too long ago that ya fought creatures like us was it, Taichou-san?" The hollow stared expectantly at Toshiro. Waiting for Toshiro to answer his question.

Toshiro stared blankly back at him.

"Well I suppose ya're not the talky type are ya? There in yer face I can see that ya're the 'I'm always serious' and 'no nonsense' type. This would be fun. I've always wanted to face people like ya. It gives me more excitement in my games. I had fun playing around with playful types just like Ichimaru Gin but I have never encountered people like ya. Well, if ya ain't gonna answer, I should tell ya shouldn't I? It's bad manners to keep people waiting and I have been taught to have good manners that I have. Besides, that'd question ain't gonna answer itself ain't it? So Taicho-san, ever heard of us Arrancar?"


	6. Chapter 6: The Strange Enemy

**Hey guys. I'm back with the next chapter. Had a few writer's block along the way. That's why this one was super super late. I'm still figuring out what sort of weapon I should equip Karin with. Any ideas? Do let me know if you have any idea wht weapon she should use. Anyway, I'm happy that my scribbles have been getting more and more favs/alerts as a chapter was added. Thanks alot for the support. It is so much appreciated. Well... Without delaying more than necessary, here goes Chapter 6: The Strange Enemy.**

Toshiro's eyes widen in shock at what the arrancar just said.

_"Weren't the arrancars all dead? Didn't we send a team of Shinigamis over to Hueco Mundo and purged them of their existence? Haven't we been extra thorough to make sure that none of the remaining arrancars survived the purge?"_ He thought to himself.

"Aah... I see ya remembered us by that look on yer face. Did ya really think we were gone? Yer team of shinigamis wasn't thorough enough. They left me alive. They killed many of us, yes they did, but they didn't do a good job now did they? How does that make ya feel huh Taicho-san? Hahahaha..." The arrancar spoke maliciously. Evil heard clearly in its rumbling voice.

"Well I'll make sure to do a more thorough job than my comrades and extinguish your race today. You're the only one left. It wouldn't take too long for me to kill you. And once I do, the world will be a much safer place for all." Toshiro spoke calmly. Confidence boiling in his blood. His eyes constantly looking for any openings to bring his opponent down as quickly as possible. He had to hurry and get Haru baa-san to safety before unleashing his full power. He didn't want to endanger Haru baa-san should he have to break into Bankai. He hoped to get Haru baa-san as far as possible from his Bankai or she might freeze to death at his immense power. Where in the world was Karin? He could use her help now.

"Oh really?"

Those were the last words he heard before he sensed the presence of ten other reiatsu similar to that of the arrancar in front of him. He could feel the mass of reiatsu and the different roars of many arancars spread across Karakura Town.

Karin stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what fell from the sky twenty feet from where she stood.

"That cannot be possible. There are still more of them? I thought Soul Society would have sent people over to destroy them. No time to think of that now. I gotta do something. Thank god for this, Urahara's shop is just round the corner." She muttered softly to herself

As quick as she thought she changed her course and turned the corner towards Urahara's shop. She burst into the shop to find Ururu, Jinta and Tessai armed with their various weapons.

"Where is Urahara? I've come to help. Quick! Lend me one of your weapons so I can fight along!"

"Ah... Whose voice is that I hear? Kurosaki-san... How nice of you to join us today." Urahara spoke in his singsong voice and smiling widely at Karin, walking through a doorway.

"Quick! Give me a weapon. I'm gonna take down that monster before it destroys the town. Its my turn to save this town now." Karin said impatiently. She could feel red-hot blood flowing through her veins. Her eyes gleamed with resolve and excitement. This is the time for her to protect her family.

"I will protect my family just like how Ichi-nii protected me and Yuzu many times before. This is the least I could do to thank him. I will take that arrancar down no matter what it takes." Karin thought to herself while Urahara eyed her judgingly.

"Jinta, Get Karin that weapon. The one I'm working on." Urahara spoke softly, eyes still locked onto Karin's face.

"But we haven't test that weapon. We don't know what its capable of." Jinta protested.

Urahara ignored Jinta's protests and kept staring at Karin.

"Fine. But if it blows up in her face, don't blame me." Jinta said, defeated and went off into their storeroom to get the weapon Urahara told him to get. He came back into the room 2 minutes later with something huge in his arms. It was covered under a black cloth but Karin could see the outline of her weapon. Her excitement grew.

_"This cannot be happening to me. Eleven arrancars and I have to handle them all? I can't possibly be at eleven places at one time. No time to call Soul Society to ask for reinforcements but I'm sure they'll know already and send some people over. I gotta take this one down fast and get to the rest."_

"Oh you won't deal with me so fast Taicho-san. I'm a tricky one to beat." The arrancar smiled playfully eyeing Toshiro with wide glittering eyes.

_"I have to move him away from Haru baa-san. Maybe I should try circling around and edge towards Haru baa-san. He might follow me through."_

"Look... I may be a hollow, but I am definitely not stupid enough tuh fall fer that. I'm not leaving this old thing just 'cause yer getting close to me. I am not afraid of ya."

_"Wait. How did he know what I was going to do?"_ Then a wild thought occured to him and shock paralyses his body.

"So ya get it now huh?" This time he heard the arrancar's voice from within his mind.

"That can't be." He muttered in disbelief.

The arrancar laughed in glee.

"Taicho-san... I told ya, ya won't be able to get me down that easily. I'm a tough one to beat. Ya see, when Aizen-sama made me, he made sure I was special. I was to be his next right hand. I have the power to hear people's thoughts. Through that, Aizen-sama planned to have me turn the tables when he fought all ya shinigamis. It would have been a definite win and Soul Society, this Human World and all of Hueco Mundo will be his to conquer and his to rule. Wasn't that such a wonderful plan? Now that he is locked up thanks tuh ya shinigamis, I can now have the freedom to take over and rule. The destruction of this world shall be my prize and from there, I shall topple the balance to the three worlds."

Toshiro lunged forward and attacked the arrancar. He knew he was at a disadvantage and that he had little hope of winning the fight with the arrancar able to read his actions in his mind and work a counter to his attacks but he had to try and win for the sake of Haru baa-san and this world. He had no choice but to fight without a plan and to work the fight at the very last minute as every thought he has was read by the arrancar.

His sword swung high. With the throbbing pain from his back and the need to keep himself in check to not hurt Haru Baa-san, he struggled alone trying to edge the arrancar as much away from Haru Baa-san as possible.

Slowly amidst his fierce clashes, the arrancar was forced to edge away from Haru baa-san giving Toshiro the opportunity to have her behind him, away from harm. The arrancar cursed furiously when he read Toshiro's thoughts. Now Toshiro worked his way forward to distance himself from Haru baa-san to prevent her from coming to harm.

The arrancar struggled to spoil Toshiro's plans of putting distance between their fight and the old lady but it was clear that his opponent was a tough fighter too and would prove to be a challenge to beat even with his advantage of reading his opponent's action in his opponent's mind before it was executed. The arrancar cursed again when he was forced backwards into the trees behind him driven away from his prey by a measly shinigami.

Once certain that Haru baa-san was far away from the arrancar and safe and far enough behind him, he shouted, "HARU BAA-SAN! RUN AWAY FROM HERE. HURRY!"

Haru baa-san crawled out of her little sanctuary as quickly as she could. Her eyes full of fear never leaving the heated fight between Toshiro and the arrancar who was getting closer and closer into the cover of the trees of the mini forest the government have made in the park. She was safe for now but she had to hurry. A fight like this might easily turn out bad and put her in danger again. She felt greatful to Toshiro for having saved her from danger but she worry for the safety of the boy. He was only just that, a boy. It felt cruel to have him, a small boy, save her from evil. Though he would frown and get furious for being called that, Haru baa-san saw him as her own grandson. She had grown to love him and await his return every time he was away on duty in the other world. He _is_ her grandchild and she would do anything to help him out.

Knowing that Toshiro would stand a better chance fighting and winning without her being so near, she limped away to find help. She swore to return with reinforcements and the first place she headed to, was Urahara's Sweet Shop.


End file.
